Chapter 122 Donald Hall's compromise

Donald Hall could see the man in the suit meant business, so he dared not argue further.

"I'll have the excavators pulled back right away!" Donald Hall agreed reluctantly.

He then ordered his men to call off the machines, and soon, the ten excavators withdrew from the orphanage grounds.

"Donald, take your people and leave. And don't even think about targeting this American soil again," the man in the suit declared.

"I... I'll go," Donald Hall replied. There was heavy reluctance in his heart, but he knew he had no choice.

"Hold on a second!"

Eric Phillips called out to Donald Hall.

"Kid, what do you want now?" Donald Hall asked, casting a resentful gaze at Eric.
"You think you can just walk away without any explanation after wrecking the orphanage? Is that what you consider appropriate?" Eric Phillips's voice was cold with reproach.

"What are you implying?" Donald Hall's gaze fixed on Eric.

"My terms are simple. If you want to leave, pay up," Eric stated calmly.

"You..." Donald Hall's complexion turned a livid shade of pale.

Donald Hall had come today with the full intention of demolishing the orphanage. After compromising and agreeing to leave, Eric still insisted he pay for the damages.

"Eric, I've already conceded. Don't push your luck!" Donald barked menacingly.
"What do you mean by that? Do you want to tear this place down and walk away? What if I hired bulldozers to tear down your house and leave without paying for the damages? If that's how things worked, I could go around demolishing properties without compensating anyone. The world would be in chaos, wouldn't it?"

"You see my point, don't you, sir?" Eric turned with a smile to the middle-aged man in the suit.

"Absolutely! If someone damages another person's property, they should rightfully pay the full price."

The man in the suit could only force a smile and nod. As the city inspector, admitting otherwise would only magnify his problems.

Subsequently, the man turned to Donald Hall and said, "Donald, when you damage someone's property, you should compensate them fairly."

Donald, however, begrudgingly yielded with a terse "Agreed."

Eric glanced back at the orphanage and casually suggested, "Well then, a mere five or six million should suffice."

"Eric, you..." Donald's face twitched uncontrollably.
He had demolished only a tiny three-story building; a new one would cost a million. Yet Eric was asking him for five to six million. But after seeing the city inspector beside him, Donald could do nothing but pull out his checkbook and hastily write a five-million-dollar check.

To the Donald Hall of past, five million was pocket change. But that sum was now significant after a recent auction where Eric had nearly wiped out his liquid assets.

More importantly, this was a matter of principle, not just money!

"There!" After writing it, Donald thrust the check onto the ground and then turned to leave.

The men Donald had brought with him also began withdrawing, including the ten bulldozers, retreating from the site.

"Mr. Phillips, you've proven to be brave and wise. A man of your caliber is bound to achieve great things. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now," the man in the suit said before turning away.
"No need," Eric Phillips said with a smile, his tone neither servile nor overbearing.

He stepped forward, scooped up the five-million-dollar check, and approached the director and Olivia, who looked visibly thrilled.

Upon reaching them, their gratitude bubbled, with repeated thanks pouring out.

"Mr. Phillips, we can't thank you enough!" exclaimed the director, her excitement palpable.

"Yeah, Mr. Phillips, you're amazing! How did you calm Donald down? You're like a hero!" Olivia's face was lit with admiration.

"Hero? I'm just an ordinary guy," Eric replied with a chuckle, downplaying his action.

He then handed the check over to the director. "Here, the check for five million is yours."

"Mr. Phillips, this is your victory. How can we accept it?" The director waved her hands dismissively.

"Director, do I look like someone who needs the money? Besides, this compensation is meant for the orphanage," Eric insisted.

Without hesitation, he pressed the check into the director's hands.

Olivia glanced at the security guard from Power Mansion Security, number 1000, before turning to Eric with a question, "Mr. Phillips, if you don't mind me asking, who exactly are you?"

To her, Eric's ability to summon so many people and make Donald Hall capitulate was a curiosity begging to be resolved.

"I'm the Chairman of the Power Group's New York branch," Eric answered with a smile.

"The Chairman of Power Group?" Olivia and the director shared a moment of stunned silence. To them, Power Group was a formidable conglomerate, and its Chairman was a figure of awe and respect.

"Mr. Phillips, when I met you at the hospital, I never thought you could be such a prominent figure," Olivia said, still in disbelief.

"Let's focus on the orphanage. With the main building reduced to rubble and the facilities running down after twenty years, they're practically unusable," Lin interjected.

"Instead of spending money to rebuild the main building, I'm thinking, why not construct a new orphanage entirely? A better place for the kids. This five million should be more than enough," the director suggested, sharing her vision for the future.
"I agree," Eric Phillips nodded, his mind suddenly aglow with inspiration.

"I have an idea," he said.

"Please, Mr. Phillips, do tell," the Dean and Olivia both turned their full attention to Eric.

"How about this: Power Group handles finding a new location for a bigger and better orphanage, funding the entire project. In return, this prime real estate, our current site, becomes part of Power Mansions. What do you think?" proposed Eric with strategic finesse.

The idea was a sure win-win.

First, the orphanage would get a new facility without spending a dime.

Second, Power Mansions would acquire the valuable property to develop a high-end residential complex.

"Mr. Phillips, we can directly hand over the property to you. You've already donated five million dollars before and helped us secure another five million from Donald Hall. That sum easily covers the cost of this property," the Dean said.

After a brief pause, the Dean continued, "As for building the new orphanage, we can comfortably use half of that ten million; there's no need for you to bear more expenses."

The orphanage had already received ten million dollars through Eric Phillips, much to the Dean's relief, and it would be out of line to expect him to fund the construction of the new facility as well.

Eric waved his hand dismissively. "Let's keep things separate. The initial five million was my donation, and the recent five million was from Donald Hall as compensation to the orphanage."

He said, "Since I'm purchasing the property, I won't let the orphanage lose out on any front. Consider it settled. I'll start making the arrangements for the new orphanage after I return," Eric declared confidently.

The Dean bowed deeply, her gratitude palpable. "We owe you a tremendous debt, Mr. Phillips. The orphanage community will always remember your kindness and generosity."

Olivia followed, mirroring the Dean's gesture of profound thanks.
...
Meanwhile, at Hailey Anderson's home.

Ever since being brought back, Hailey Anderson was confined to her room, her anxiety palpable as she paced back and forth. The windows were secured with bars, and the door was locked from the outside, leaving her trapped and helpless.

"Please let the Dean, Olivia, and the kids be safe," she clasped her hands tightly, a knot of concern ever-present in her chest.
Hailey Anderson's immediate concerns had shifted from preserving the orphanage to the safety of the staff, Olivia, and the children. She knew Donald Hall's plans for demolition were inevitable; the orphanage's days were numbered.

Just then, the door swung open, and her grandfather walked in.

"Hailey, I've got great news for you. We've managed to save the orphanage," her grandfather announced.

"Really?" Hailey replied, a mix of surprise and delight in her eyes.

"The details? It would help if you go see your friends from the orphanage; they'll fill you in," her grandfather suggested.

"So, I can go now?" Hailey's voice thrummed with excitement.

"Yes," her grandfather nodded.

"I'll head out right away!" With that, Hailey hurried towards the door, eager to find out the current status of the orphanage.

She was even more curious to discover how they had dodged Donald Hall's destructive grasp.

...